Owning an exotic animal species is a challenging yet rewarding experience. Each individual species has special and unique husbandry requirements. If you decide on an animal species that you have always been interested I recommend that you learn as much as you can about the species before you buy the animal. This way you can provide the best diet and housing that you are able to. The better the housing and diet the healthier your pet will be and you will be able to enjoy your pet for a longer period of time. When choosing an exotic pet it is important to evaluate your schedule considering how much time is involved with proper care. Remember that you are in complete control of your pets needs and must provide all that your pet needs at all times. If you have a pet that requires a heat source and a light source then it is important that your pet have these things at all times. Here is an abbreviated example of keeping a Pac Man Frog (Certophrys ornata). Native to Latin America this frog can be kept in a 10 gallon aquarium with a daytime temperature in the low 80’s, dropping into the 70′s at night- with 12 hours of light and 12 hours of dark being best. A deep substrate of leaf litter in which this frog can bury itself is best. A shallow water dish (not good swimmers) up to about their belly is required and must be cleaned often. The tank must be kept very moist and this frog is usually kept alone as it will eat almost anything that moves. In the wild these frogs mainly feed on other frogs. In captivity we feed, green tree frogs, pinkies, a small amount of crickets, earthworms and smaller salamanders. These frogs are fed every 2 or three days. There is a lot more information needed to maintain these frogs. This is just an abbreviated example of the complicated husbandry that an exotic species can have. In order for this species to live a healthy life all of the before mentioned parameters and more are required. I love it when clients call me and ask about a species before they purchase it so that I can advise them about caring for their beloved pet.
Post provided by: Cathy Connelly MS DVM